Bang Pakong River Research Articles

Tidal levels significantly change bacterial community composition in a tropical estuary during the dry season

AbstractEstuaries are usually characterized by strong spatial and temporal variability in water physicochemical conditions and are often largely affected by human activities. One important source of variability is caused by tides that can swiftly alter not only physicochemical conditions but also the abundance and composition of the biota. The effect of the diurnal tidal cycle on microbial community composition during different seasons remains uncertain, although this knowledge underlies having effective monitoring programs for water quality and potential identification of health risk conditions. In this study, we assessed the bacterioplankton community composition and diversity across four tidal water levels in a tropical estuary characterized by a mixed semidiurnal tide regime (i.e., two high and two low tides of varying amplitudes) during both dry and wet seasons. The bacterial community composition varied significantly among the four tidal levels, but only during the dry season, when the influence of the seawater intrusion was largest. Bacterial indicators’ taxa identified using the Indicator Value Index were found within Cyanobacteria, Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidota, and Proteobacteria. The indicator taxon Cyanobium sp. had a prominent presence across multiple tidal levels. The main predicted phenotypes of the bacterial communities were associated with potential pathogenicity, gram-negative, and biofilm formation traits. While there were no marked predicted phenotypic differences between seasons, pathogenic and gram-negative traits were more prevalent in the dry season, while biofilm formation traits dominated in the wet season. Overall, our findings underscore the intricate relationship between river hydrodynamics and bacterial composition variability and hint a significant human impact on the water quality of the Bangpakong River.

Occurrence, transport and sources of metals and metalloids in the Bangpakong River in the eastern economic corridor area of Thailand

The occurrence of elements in river water is affected by various factors, including mobility, weathering and transport processes and anthropogenic contributions. A total of six water sampling campaigns were conducted from 2021 to 2022 to study the factors affecting the occurrence of twelve elements (Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn and Se) in the Bangpakong River. The total concentrations of all the elements were within the levels set by the national surface water quality standard. Comparisons of dissolved elemental concentrations in the study area with the global average for dissolved elemental concentrations in pristine rivers indicated contamination with Al, As, Co, Mn, Zn and Se in the river water. Based on the percentage of each element in particulates to the total concentration, Al (80.6 %), Cr (71.9 %), Cu (69.9 %), Fe (95.6 %), Mn (76.6 %), Pb (74.7 %), and Zn (70.6 %) were mainly transported in the particulate phase in both the dry and wet seasons. However, As (65.5 %), Co (60.3 %), and Se (77.6 %) were mainly transported in the dissolved phase in both seasons. The ratios of the dissolved Se concentration in river water to the Se concentration in the Earth's crust indicated significant and high mobility, especially in downstream sites, likely due to Se leaching from alluvial sediments. Seawater intrusion is likely the cause of As and Zn contamination in the dry season. Weathering of rocks and soils likely causes Al, Co, and Mn contamination in the wet season. The anthropogenic sources of contamination include the discharge of Mn and Zn from fertilizers in agriculture and the use of formulated feed in aquaculture. Approximately 52.98, 25.23, 5.68 and 0.63 tons of Fe, Al, Mn and Zn, respectively, are estimated to be transported from the river into the Gulf of Thailand each year.

Length-Weight Relationship and Condition Factor of Fishes in Two Major Rivers, the Chao Phraya and the Bang Pakong, in Thailand.

Length-weight relationship (LWR) was used as a tool to assess the status of fish stocks, through condition factor, in major rivers in Thailand. Fifty-one fish species from each river, i.e., The examined for LWR using 11 years of monitoring data (2010-2020) for Bang Pakong and 14 years of monitoring data (2007-2020) for Chao Phraya, which comprised 57,871 samples. The parameters for LWR and condition factor were examined by species and by body shape, i.e., ovate, oblong, elongate or eel-like. The coefficient of determination (r 2 ) of all log-transformed LWRs was greater than 0.90. Parameter b of LWR ranged between 2.06 and 3.46 (median = 3.00) for fishes from the Chao Phraya River and between 1.72 and 3.68 (median = 2.76) for fishes from the Bang Pakong River. The overall condition factor, which implies the well-being that indicates the health or fattening of the fishes in a stock, ranged between 0.93 and 1.09. There was no significant difference in the overall well-being (P = 0.279) between the two rivers. Fishes with oblong and elongate shapes in the Chao Phraya River showed higher median values of parameter b of LWR than those from the Bang Pakong River. However, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the well-being of the fish stocks between the two rivers when pooled by shape. The findings are fundamental information for fish stock assessment in the two rivers, which greatly support the small-scale fisheries in Thailand.

Integrative approach for landscape demography analysis of Plakad-Pa Pak-Tawan-Ok (Betta siamorientalis): Deciphering genetic and environmental factors in Eastern Thailand's conservation efforts

In recent decades, a global acceleration of urbanization has been observed, leading to significant habitat loss and fragmentation. Economic development in eastern Thailand has been promoted, but this has often coincided with unsustainable exploitation of natural resources. The expansion of urban and industrial areas in the region puts many organisms at risk of extinction owing to habitat loss. Plakad-Pa Pak-Tawan-Ok (Betta siamorientalis) is an endemic species found only in the eastern Thailand. In this study, the genetic diversity and population structure of 17 B. siamorientalis populations were analyzed using microsatellite genotyping. High genetic variability was observed. The STRUCTURE plot reveals large, distinct gene pools in the lower Prachin River and Phra Prong River Part 2. Migration analyses showed that the estimated gene flow between populations aligned with the dominant water flow in the flooding direction toward the mouth of the Bang Pakong River on the western side of eastern Thailand. Thus, this area must be considered a vital genetic resource. The pairwise fixation index values were statistically significant for all populations, including those within the same sub-watershed, indicating genetic differentiation among populations. This suggests relatively low gene flow between ecologically divergent populations. Mean annual total precipitation was also significantly correlated with genetic diversity. We propose the need for careful consideration and awareness of the planning and implementation of industrial development within eastern Thailand. Resource allocation in management efforts may be most effective when directed toward the preservation of habitat suitability, specifically in relation to precipitation and water resources, rather than prioritizing enhancements in landscape connectivity for B. siamorientalis.

Variation of mercury in 4 major estuaries in the Gulf of Thailand during wet season

The Mae Klong River (MK), Tha Chin River (TC), Chao Phraya River (CP), and Bang Pakong River (BPK) are recognized as critical conveyors of terrestrial substances, including pollutants, into the Inner Gulf of Thailand (Inner GOT). This study sought to explore the presence of mercury (Hg), a highly toxic and bioavailable pollutant, in both water and surface sediment at the mouths of the four rivers in pre- and post-wet season (WS). The results revealed that the total mercury (T-Hg) concentrations in the water ranged from 10 ng/L (TC) to 125 ng/L (CP) in pre-WS and 17 ng/L (MK) to 1011 ng/L (TC) in post-WS. Notably, the post-WS concentrations of T-Hg were relatively higher than the pre-WS, with an average concentration of particulate Hg (P–Hg) increasing by approximately 3–5 times. Consequently, the average P–Hg proportion to T-Hg of each estuary in the post-WS was comprised of greater than 67%. Moreover, a correlation was observed among salinity, total suspended solid (TSS) and particulate Hg (P–Hg). Similarly, the estuarine sediment, excluding MK, exhibited a higher average concentration of T-Hg during the post-WS period. The average T-Hg concentration in sediment ranged from 17 (BPK) to 119 (MK) μg/kg in pre-WS and 15 (MK) to 140 (CP) μg/kg in post-WS. The presence of organic matter (total organic carbon or TOC content), and clay-sized particles were identified as potential factors influencing the concentration of T-Hg in the sediment. In addition, a higher positive correlation was observed between T-Hg and silt-sized particles in BPK. In this study, both T-Hg in the water column and T-Hg in sediment increased during the post-WS period, suggesting that Hg transportation from sources to river mouths during WS were intensified. Furthermore, the correlation between T-Hg and fine-grained particle, as well as the greater T-Hg levels in the estuarine sediment, indicates that Hg may be transported from rivers to the offshore marine environment via the fine-grained fraction.

Preindustrial levels and temporal enrichment trends of mercury in sediment cores from the Gulf of Thailand.

Four sediment cores in the middle of Gulf of Thailand (GOT) and one core close to Bang Pakong River mouth were examined for total mercury (T-Hg) using direct thermal decomposition coupled with the atomic absorption spectrometry (DTD-AAS) method and acid digestion (acid-CVAAS) method, and sediment chronologies using 210Pb dating. T-Hg in the river mouth core ranged 44.49-52.76µg/kg and higher than the cores from the middle of GOT (18.26-36.68µg/kg). The age span obtained from the cores dated back to the 1940s with the sediment accumulation rates of 0.15-0.76cm/year. The preindustrial levels of T-Hg showed an initial slow increase followed by a rapid elevation since the 1960s which marked the start of the industrialized period in the country. To this end, we posit that T-Hg in the GOT sediment can be attributed to not only land-based sources but also offshore activities including petroleum exploration and frequent accidental oil spills.

Seven decades of shoreline changes along a muddy mangrove coastline of the Upper Gulf of Thailand

AbstractThis study evaluates the historical coastal change and development along the eastern coastline of the Upper Gulf of Thailand between 1953 and 2019 based on a series of aerial photographs and satellite images. Long‐term (~70 years) and short‐term (~10 years) shoreline movement rates were analysed using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS). Results of this analysis indicate that the shoreline along the western coast (WBK) of the Bang Pakong River mouth has undergone severe coastal degradation, with a land loss of about 980 ha over the last seven decades. Meanwhile, the eastern coastline (EBK) has developed continuously over this time span, resulting in a land growth of about 552 ha. Based on historical shorelines recorded since 1954, the shoreline recession along the WBK coast accelerated over five decades. The average shoreline change rate reached approximately −9 m/year in 2002 and is shown to be related to land subsidence, which was due to groundwater withdrawals. The WBK coastline stabilized in 2009 and became an accretionary coast after 2016 due to the introduction of engineered coastal protection measures. In addition, the construction of major dams on the Chao Phraya and Bang Pakong rivers did not result in severe shoreline recession along the WBK coast. A significant reduction in sediment supply to the coastal zone due to damming was not observed. In contrast, the EBK coastline has advanced continuously since 1953, with average growth rates between 0.5 and 7.6 m/year over 50 years as a result of increased riverine sediment supply. Our results also indicate that mangrove deforestation was not a major factor causing shoreline retreat, and mangrove reforestation was not a successful coastal protection approach in this coast.

Circular economy approach for wastewater treatment farming in Bangpakong River basin

Bangpakong River is one of river basins that faced the pollution problem in Thailand. This river is located in the downstream of central pain of Thailand and flows into the sea at the gulf of Thailand. Water quality problems in the last decade of this river basin are appeared from the low water quality index with evidences such as dead of fish, black color of water, low Dissolved Oxygen (DO) concentrations, high organics and nutrients concentrations, high contaminated of coliform bacteria. All wastewater is controlled by the environmental law. Only wastewater from agriculture part is not yet properly managed. The objective of this study was to quantify the mass and material flows in agricultural farms such as pig, fish and prawn farms. Circular economy concept as reuse of wastewater in agricultural farms was approached in scenario. Surveys, questionnaires and water samplings were taken for farms. Information and mass flows within the farms were analyzed. This study found that the main source of pollution from these farms mostly resulted from the effluent of wastewater in term of Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Total Nitrogen (TN) loads, were discharged into the environment. The hot spot areas were canals which flow to the river. Mass flows in pig farm revealed that BOD and TN loads to the environment were 90, and 120 tons/year. In which, calculated thresholds were 30 and 60 tons/year for BOD and TN. Similar results also found from aquaculture farms which contributes BOD and TN loads of 187 and 77 tons/year for fish farms and 156 and 84 tons for prawn farms. In this study, calculated reuse as circular economy approach about 50% of farm wastewater to agricultural field could provide the key role of BOD and TN reduction to the environment, and meeting the threshold level.

Fate, transport and ecological risk of antibiotics from pig farms along the bang pakong River, Thailand

This study was conducted to investigate the impact of different seasons (dry and rainy seasons) in 2018 on the fate, transport, and ecological risk of antibiotics drained from pig farms along the Bang Pakong River, Thailand. Twenty-one residual antibiotics were detected in pig farm effluents, drainages, and the river in both seasons. Amoxicillin, tetracycline, chlortetracycline, and tiamulin were found dominantly in the pig farm effluents, showing high detection frequencies of 83–100 % in the total number of the effluent samples. Maximum concentrations of these four dominant antibiotics in the drainage and the river were 0.12–5.20 μg L−1 in the dry season and 0.12–16.1 μg L−1 in the rainy season. Tetracycline (15.1 μg L−1) and chlortetracycline (16.1 μg L−1) were found at the highest concentrations in the rainy season. The multiple linear regression and random forest analyses between residual antibiotics in the farm effluents and the river in both seasons were performed to model dilution and removal processes of the antibiotics. The antibiotic removal processes were determined by their partition coefficients, solubility, biodegradability, and volatility. Compared to multiple linear regression, random forest models better identified the removal processes of pig farm antibiotics drained into the river. The risk quotient (RQ) of tiamulin determined based on its actual concentration in the river (0.0016 and 0.0017 in dry and rainy seasons) and its modeled concentration in river as predicted by random forest model (0.0029 and 0.001 in dry and rainy seasons) presented its potential ecological risk to fish, daphnia and green algae.

Conservation of Saint Paul Church, Thailand

There are very few Catholic churches in Thailand that conserve wooden structures. The first church of St. Paul was made of bamboo and the other timber on the Bang Pakong River. In 1873, Father Schmidt Francois-Joseph built the third one with concrete including wooden structures such as priest quarters, a bell tower, a rest pavilion, a granary, a school building, all of which were designed by French priests in colonial architecture and constructed by Chinese workers. As present, these buildings have been deteriorating. However, their conservation plans have been launched, recently.Keywords: conservation; Catholic Church; colonial architecture; timbereISSN 2398-4295 © 2017 The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, UniversitiTeknologi MARA, Malaysia.

FIRST FARMERS IN MAINLAND SOUTHEAST ASIA

The domestication of rice and millet took in the Yangtze and Yellow River valleys. It is argued that the expansion of farming communities from these two regions reached mainland Southeast Asia from the late third millennium BC. The conjunction of new archaeological and bioanthropogical information, and the re-examination of older reports, is beginning to illuminate the interactions between the incoming farmers and long-established hunter gatherers. It is argued that there were several distinct expansionary routes. One followed the coast of Vietnam, others involved the courses of the Salween and Mekong rivers.This brought incoming farmers to a wide range of new habitats. Khok Phanom Di is a key site. Formerly located on the estuary of the Bang Pakong River, a new analysis of cranial and dental variables relate the inhabitants to expansionary farmers. Their adaptation to a marine estuarine habitat, however, made rice cultivation marginal at best, and the new settlers turned to hunting and gathering while maintaining a fully Neolithic material culture.

The Creation and Conservation of Saint Paul Church, Thailand

There are very few Catholic churches in Thailand that conserve wooden structures.Take St.Paul in Muang District, Chachoengsao Province located on the east of Bangkok as an example, it was built by Bishop Pallegoix Jean-Baptise the Vicar Apostolic of Siam in 1840. The first church was made of bamboo and the other wood. In 1873, Father Schmidt Francois-Joseph bought a piece of land and built the third one with concrete including wooden structures such as priest quarters, a bell tower, a rest pavilion on the Bang Pakong River, a granary, a school building, all of which were designed by a French priest in colonial architecture and constructed by Chinese workers. As the time passes, heritage buildings have been deteriorating. However, their conservation plans have been launched, and most of them have been implemented. Most of the structures were constructed of teak that can adapt itself to the weather. Another property of wood is that it can be deconstructed and reconstructed with or without changing its former architectural style.© 2016. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.Keywords: conservation; cultural heritage; architecture; community

The Creation and Conservation of Saint Paul Church, Thailand

There are very few Catholic churches in Thailand that conserve wooden structures.Take St.Paul in Muang District, Chachoengsao Province located on the east of Bangkok as an example, it was built by Bishop Pallegoix Jean-Baptise the Vicar Apostolic of Siam in 1840. The first church was made of bamboo and the other wood. In 1873, Father Schmidt Francois-Joseph bought a piece of land and built the third one with concrete including wooden structures such as priest quarters, a bell tower, a rest pavilion on the Bang Pakong River, a granary, a school building, all of which were designed by a French priest in colonial architecture and constructed by Chinese workers. As the time passes, heritage buildings have been deteriorating. However, their conservation plans have been launched, and most of them have been implemented. Most of the structures were constructed of teak that can adapt itself to the weather. Another property of wood is that it can be deconstructed and reconstructed with or without changing its former architectural style.© 2016. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies, Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.Keywords: conservation; cultural heritage; architecture; community

Assessment of the flood vulnerability of shrimp farms using a multicriteria evaluation and GIS: a case study in the Bangpakong Sub-Basin, Thailand

Flood disasters associated with tropical storms have caused extensive and repeated damage to shrimp farms located in the Bangpakong River Basin, Chachoengsao Province, Thailand, which features the largest area of inland shrimp farming in the country. This study aims to assess the current vulnerability of shrimp farms to flooding and to examine the shrimp farmers’ actual adaptation practices for coping with floods based on past flood events. A flood vulnerability map was developed based on the geo-environmental characteristics of the study area. The map was produced through the use of geographic information system methods and a multicriteria evaluation. The current vulnerability map indicates that the majority of shrimp farms in the Bangpakong River Basin are highly vulnerable to flooding when the 10-day cumulative rainfall is >250–300 mm. The highly vulnerable area identified by the map is consistent with the area impacted by flooding in 2011. Based on a questionnaire, the majority of shrimp farmers have developed various adaptation practices to cope with flooding. The most common practice for minimizing flood damage is to increase the height of dikes around shrimp ponds. Because of budgetary constraints, approximately 20 % of small-scale shrimp farmers did not implement any adaptation practices and risked potential damage. With increasing climate change threats, these research results are useful for planning and creating policies that can reduce flood damage to shrimp farms in vulnerable zones. The results can also be applied to other areas facing similar conditions.

Heavy metal and clay mineral analyses in the sediments of Upper Gulf of Thailand and their implications on sedimentary provenance and dispersion pattern

Forty-eight sediment samples collected in the Upper Gulf of Thailand (UGOT) and its nearby rivers including the Mae Klong, Tha Chin, Chao Phraya, and Bang Pakong were analyzed for grain size, heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, and Cd), and clay minerals. The results reveal that fine-grained sediments with Mz<30μm concentrate in the northern coastal area and coarse-grained fractions increase in a seaward direction. The grain size of the sediments mainly controls heavy metal concentrations. The concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cr are higher in the northern part of UGOT, with ranges above 20, 23, 45, and 50mgkg−1, than in other sampling areas. Meanwhile, Cd content is greater than 120μgkg−1 in sediments near the Bang Pakong River mouth and area between the Tha Chin and Mae Klong rivers mouth. The concentrations of heavy metals are higher than background data, and statistical analysis of geo-accumulation index indicates that the study area is either unpolluted to moderately polluted or moderately polluted by heavy metals. Our results also verify that illite is the dominant clay mineral, followed by kaolinite, chlorite, and smectite in terms of semi-quantitative content. Smectite/kaolinite can be used as an indicator to trace the riverine sediment in the study area, which present a counterclockwise dispersion pattern of sediment from the Chao Phraya River.

Integrating spatial land use analysis and mathematical material flow analysis for nutrient management: a case study of the Bang Pakong River Basin in Thailand.

Rivers in developing and emerging countries often lack good water quality. Tools to assess the water quality in rivers, including identification of possible sources of pollution, are therefore of increasing importance. The aim of this study is to apply mathematical material flow and spatial land use analyses to identify and geographically locate the main nitrogen and phosphorus sources and processes in Bang Pakong Basin (BPB). Potential measures to mitigate the nitrogen and phosphorus loads to the water system can then be efficiently evaluated. The combination of these two methods reveals the overall nutrient load as well as local "hot spots." This allows possible mitigation measures to be discussed with regard to their spatial location. This approach goes beyond previous work in which mathematical material flow analysis was shown to be a useful tool to investigate sources of nutrients regardless of their location. The results show that the main sources contributing nutrients to waterways are aquaculture, such as shrimp, tilapia, catfish, and sea bass farming, as well as rice paddies along the main river. Additional sources contributing nutrients to this basin are field crops, livestock, aquaculture, households, and industry. High levels of nutrient inflows come from feeds and fertilizers through aquaculture and rice cultivation. The excess nutrients run into the waterways by direct discharge from aquaculture and runoff processes from rice paddies. Scenario analysis shows that management practices for aquaculture, rice, pig, and poultry farming are key drivers for reducing nutrients in the BPB.

Potential impacts of slum urbanisation on channel bank storage in the Bang Pakong River, Thailand

Generally regarded as social phenomena, this paper regards slum urbanisation as an environmental actor. Specifically, how slum developments modify hydrogeomorphological processes motivates this research. Using the Bang Pakong River, eastern Thailand, as a case study, a literature review was conducted. The literature reviewed indicated changes in physical processes such as channel bank stability, water quality, flow regimes and the hydrological balance equations can occur with slum development. Given the importance of channel banks as the physical basis of many slum sites, this paper focuses on the possible changes to channel bank storage in the Bang Pakong River following slum urbanisation. The research highlights possible changes to channel bank storage processes, notably decreased storage recharge rates; increased anthropogenic extraction; and probable water quality deterioration. Deeper scientific understanding of how river processes are affected by specific forms of urban development can contribute to better management of both informal urban settlements and rivers.

Occurrence of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate in the Water Environment of Bangkok, Thailand

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are organic substances that have characteristics of persistence in the environment; transboun- dary movement, or the ability to travel long distances through air and water; toxicity; and bioaccumulation in living things. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), a toxic chemical that never breaks down, was added to the Stockholm Convention on POPs and was listed in the Annex B restrictions with many exemptions to continue using PFOS. This study focused on the occurrence of PFOS in the water system of Bangkok, Thailand,includingtheChaoPhraya andBangPakongRivers,tapwater in industrial zonesandresidential areas, drinkingwater,andindustrial wastewater.Seasonaleffect of PFOSbetweendryseason and wet season was also observedformore than 3years. Solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled with HPLC-ESI-MS/MS was used for the analysis of these compounds. PFOS was detected in most water samples. The average concentration of PFOS in the Chao Phraya River (urban area) was1.70 ng=L, whereas lower concentrations were detected in the Bang Pakong River (suburban area), residential tap water, and bottled drinking water, with averages of 0.7, 0.4, and 0.5 ng=L, respectively. Higher con- centrations(anaverageof25.1 ng=L)werefoundinindustrialtapwater,whosesourceswerefromsurfacewaterneartheindustrialzones.Much higherconcentrationsweredetectedinindustrialwastewater,withthemaximumof6;100.8 ng=L.Theseresultsindicatedthatindustrialwaste- water was one of the major sources of PFOS contamination in thewater system of the city of Bangkok. This study provided data on the spatial occurrence, its seasonal effect, and distribution of PFOS in the water environment of Bangkok and surrounding areas, which need continuous attention to this emerging contaminant. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0000603. © 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers. CE Database subject headings: Thailand; Rivers and streams; Drinking water; Industrial wastes; Water pollution.

Community Responses to Cultural Identity of the Three Religious Communities: A Case Study in Chachoengsao Province, Thailand

The research work focused on the community response in relation to their architecture, space and land of the 3 ethnic enclaves of 3 different religions: Buddhism, Confucianism and Catholicism located along the Bang Pakong River, namely, Ban Sothorn, Talad Banmai and St.Paul Church. The objectives of the study are 1) to study the value of their cultural heritage and 2) to study the sustainability of their community. The study reveals that the conservation of an ethnic community depends on people's relationship with their religion, housing security, economic potential and people's involvement.

Contamination of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in Chao Phraya River and Bangpakong River, Thailand

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) have been used for many years, and are distributed all over the world. This study focused on occurrences of PFCs, especially perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctonoic acid (PFOA) in Thai rivers and industrial estate discharges, while comparing results with rivers of other Asian countries (Japan, China, and Malaysia). Surveys were conducted in Chao Phraya River, Bangpakong River and three industrial estates. A solid phase extraction (SPE) and HPLC-ESI-MS/MS were used for the analysis of these chemicals. The average concentrations of PFOS and PFOA were 1.9 and 4.7 ng/L, respectively in Chao Phraya River, while lower concentrations were detected in Bangpakong River with the averages of 0.7 ng/L for both PFOS and PFOA. Higher concentrations were detected in all industrial estate discharges with the averages of 64.3 ng/L for PFOA and 17.9 ng/L for PFOS., Total loadings from three industrial estates were 1.93 g/d for PFOS and 11.81 g/d for PFOA. The concentration levels in Thai rivers were less than rivers in Japan, China, and Malaysia. However, PFCs loading rate of Chao Phraya River was much higher than Yodo River (Japan), due to the higher flow rate. The other six PFCs were found above the Limit of Quantification (LOQ) in most samples. PFHxS and PFNA were also highly detected in some river samples.